Artificial limbs are man-made devices that are fabricated such that their appearance or function can replace that of a missing part of an arm or a leg. Some types of artificial limbs have the same shape and function as those of a missing joint. Although there are several categories of artificial limbs depending on the purpose and parts to be used, they are generally divided into an upper artificial limb that is commonly referred to as an artificial arm and a lower artificial limb that is commonly referred to as an artificial leg.
In order to use an artificial limb, first, a socket liner is worn on a stump, and the artificial limb is then connected to the socket liner. Most devices for connecting the artificial limb to the socket liner in the related art use a pin lock, which fixes the artificial limb and the socket liner using a pin. As shown in FIG. 2, the pin lock is a type of locking mechanism in which the socket liner is connected to the artificial limb by fixing a metal pin P to the distal connecting end of the socket liner. In the case of the pin lock, the area where the stump and the artificial limb are connected is only the cross-sectional area of the pin P. Consequently, it is difficult to balance the weight of the body in the standing position, and a gap in a fastening portion causes noises when walking.
FIG. 2 is a configuration view showing the fastening of a pin locking device of the related art (left) and the fastening of a magnetic locking device for an artificial limb according to the present invention (right). As shown in the figure, the pin lock has a long connecting portion where the stump and the artificial limb are connected. This structure, however, is difficult to use if the stump is long. In contrast, the magnetic lock is configured to be thin, and thus can be advantageously used even if the stump is long.